The World’s 100 Best Museums · 2026
The Best Museums in the Middle East
5 of the 100 museums in The World’s 100 Best Museums 2026 are in the Middle East, in 4 countries. The highest placed is Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum in Şanlıurfa, Turkey, at number 6 in the world. Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt (number 15) and Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel (number 16) follow.
Turkey
Two of the five museums are archaeology museums in Turkey. The Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum holds the finds from Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe and a walk-in replica of the Göbeklitepe enclosure. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara runs from the Paleolithic to the Phrygians in two Ottoman buildings below the castle. The state Museum Card is accepted at both.
Egypt, Israel, Oman
The Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza pyramids opened in November 2025 and shows the contents of Tutankhamun's tomb together. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem keeps the Dead Sea Scrolls in a building of their own, the Shrine of the Book. The Oman Across Ages Museum near Nizwa tells the country's history in a building shaped after the Al Hajar Mountains.
Museums
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N° 6
Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum
Şanlıurfa, Turkey
History museum
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N° 15
Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza, Egypt
History museum -
N° 16
Israel Museum
Jerusalem, Israel
History museum -
N° 45
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
Ankara, Turkey
History museum -
N° 48
Oman Across Ages Museum
Manah, Oman
History museum
Best by region
- The NordicsLouisiana Museum of Modern ArtHumlebæk, DenmarkN° 3
- EuropeMuseo del PradoMadrid, SpainN° 2
- AsiaBihar MuseumPatna, IndiaN° 9
- The Middle EastŞanlıurfa Archaeology MuseumŞanlıurfa, TurkeyN° 6
- North AmericaMuseo Nacional de AntropologíaMexico City, MexicoN° 1
- Latin AmericaInstituto Ricardo BrennandRecife, BrazilN° 18
- AfricaBardo National MuseumTunis, TunisiaN° 57
- OceaniaMONAHobart, AustraliaN° 44